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Wild Cards #28
Three Kings
The next anthology in George R. R. Martin's ongoing Wild Cards alternate-history series, Three Kings.
In the aftermath of World War II, the Earth’s population was devastated by an alien virus. Those who survived were changed forever. Some, known as jokers, were cursed with bizarre mental and physical mutations; others, granted superhuman abilities, became the lucky few known as aces.
Queen Margaret, who came to the English throne after the death of her sister Elizabeth, now lies on her death-bed. Summoning the joker ace Alan Turing, she urges him to seek the true heir: Elizabeth's lost son. He was rumored to have died as a baby but, having been born a joker, was sent into hiding. Margaret dies and her elder son Henry becomes king and at once declares he wants to make England an "Anglo-Saxon country" and suggests jokers be sent "to the moon." Dangerous tensions begin to tear the country apart. The Twisted Fists—an organization of jokers led by the Green Man—are becoming more militant. And Babh, goddess of war, sees opportunities to sow strife and reap blood…
In the aftermath of World War II, the Earth’s population was devastated by an alien virus. Those who survived were changed forever. Some, known as jokers, were cursed with bizarre mental and physical mutations; others, granted superhuman abilities, became the lucky few known as aces.
Queen Margaret, who came to the English throne after the death of her sister Elizabeth, now lies on her death-bed. Summoning the joker ace Alan Turing, she urges him to seek the true heir: Elizabeth's lost son. He was rumored to have died as a baby but, having been born a joker, was sent into hiding. Margaret dies and her elder son Henry becomes king and at once declares he wants to make England an "Anglo-Saxon country" and suggests jokers be sent "to the moon." Dangerous tensions begin to tear the country apart. The Twisted Fists—an organization of jokers led by the Green Man—are becoming more militant. And Babh, goddess of war, sees opportunities to sow strife and reap blood…
240 pages, Hardcover
First published May 14, 2020
21 people are currently reading
367 people want to read
About the author
George R.R. Martin
1,505 books119k followersGeorge Raymond Richard "R.R." Martin was born September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. His father was Raymond Collins Martin, a longshoreman, and his mother was Margaret Brady Martin. He has two sisters, Darleen Martin Lapinski and Janet Martin Patten.
Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: The Hero, sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.
In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.
As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.
In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.
Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.
Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/george...
Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: The Hero, sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.
In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.
As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.
In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.
Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.
Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/george...
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 23, 2022
Thirty-five years ago, the first Wild Cards book appeared and here we are with volume twenty-eight and the franchise is still going strong. Not bad for group of nerdy gamers putting together a comic bookish lark. Who'd'a thunk it? This one is something of a sequel to Knaves Over Queens, and I'd suggest it's necessary to have read that one in order to fully appreciate this one. It's set solidly in the U.K., with little reference to all of the storylines and characters followed in the preceding volumes. This is one of the mosaic novels and is written by Mary Anne Mohanraj, Peter Newman, Peadar O'Guilin, Caroline Spector, and Melinda M. Snodgrass, who also serves as the primary editor. Each writer follows the viewpoint of one of the five primary characters, only one of whom is well known outside of the British arc, Snodgrass's Noel Matthews. My favorite sections were those written by Caroline Spector. The book tells the story of the fight for succession to the throne after the passing of Queen Margaret. (Alternate universe, remember.) As one would expect, there's a high body count and lots of angst and misery before the question is settled. It drags a bit in the middle, but the story concludes satisfactorily. I thought a couple of bits needed a bit more development (one of the characters' death would surely have caused more of a furor, and the security around the royals surely couldn't be -that- lax), but it was a fun read and quite engaging for the most part. Still, I'll be glad to return to more familiar surroundings (wait... The Moon?) in the next book.
April 23, 2022
Three Kings was everything a Wild Cards novel should be: an exciting adventure featuring spectacular revelations and equally spectacular violence. Plus I really love the idea of Alan Turing still being alive, vital, and super powered at 108. (I wish the TV series would hurry up and make its’ way to Hulu.)This book was definitely high octane fun.
Read
October 23, 2020London, March 2020, and everything is going to shit - but not for the reasons it did here. They had their pandemic decades back, leaving many dead, but also a scattering of superhuman aces, and an underclass of mutated jokers. No, the problem now is that the Queen is dying - and that's Margaret, Elizabeth having died giving birth to her firstborn, a joker who didn't long survive her. Except, Margaret now tells veteran joker-ace Alan Turing, he secretly did... meaning he's the true king, and a better prospect than her own beastly sons. One of whom Turing is shagging, because of course he is.
With libraries shut, there's apparently been some enormous increase in ebook loans since the Event, but this was my first. Partly that was because it felt a little like cheating on my vows regarding further book acquisition, especially when it's not like I don't have a huge ebook backlog as well as the physical one; partly it's just that browsing online library catalogues isn't half so much fun as wandering the shelves, and the selection tends to be a lot more mainstream. Still, I didn't want to let this be a year without a Wild Cards book as well as everything else, and I was curious to see where the series' British wing went after Knaves Over Queens. Surprisingly, it's a mosaic novel, something I thought Wild Cards generally only did as a third book rather than a second in a sub-series. More ominously, of the five writers (one also the co-editor, Melinda Snodgrass), only one is British and one Irish, the rest being Americans. Exceptions exist, obviously, but as a rule there's little that makes me sympathise with the Own Voices movement as much as Americans writing British, and this one is soon stumbling into a bunch of the most glaring pitfalls. Some of them are little matters of language; I can believe the bit where the heir to the throne comes out with a bunch of Morrissey talking points about minorities on camera, but referring to the kingdom as 'England'? I don't buy it. Or the monarch having sons called Henry and Richard. Seriously? I know we sort of have a Henry, but a) he's the spare and b) it's no accident he's never referred to as that. And Richard? Why not just have one called John while you're at it? This is particularly irksome given names, how they change and adapting to them, are otherwise one of the more interesting themes running through Three Kings. Still, like the reference to the poetry of 'Yates' these could be classed as minor glitches – even if equally, that means they would have been trivially easy to fix had a Brit read the book over before it was published. Others, though, are more structural, like how the entire central plot seems to have confused the slightly ridiculous contortions of a modern constitutional monarchy with the long-ago clusterfucks that inspired the Wild Cards founder's rather higher profile subsequent work, Game Of Thrones. Or maybe they saw The Windsors and didn't twig that it's a spoof? Yes, lip service is paid to the existence of things like Prime Ministers and Home Secretaries, but you still get stuff like the King appointing and firing heads of intelligence agencies on a whim - and before there's even been a coronation, at that! Granted it's an alternate universe, but one that diverged in 1946, not 1688. And yes, the whole point of a superhero universe is to heighten things, but especially when - as in Wild Cards - it's meant to be a faintly realistic one, it needs to work vaguely within the right outlines. The Democratic Convention in Ace In The Hole, say, was more eventful than its real-world counterparts, but still recognisable as a plausible extrapolation from them. Three Kings could have been something similar, To Play The King plus mutants. As is, it's pure fantasy without realising that, and thus prone to weightlessness. The leads are mostly interesting enough company; beyond the reluctance to bail on a long-running series, and the conveniently bite-sized sections ideal for time that would otherwise be spent on listless scrolling, that was the thing which kept me reading. But suspending disbelief in the action was a struggle. Well, except maybe for the most English assassination ever - that was just ridiculous enough to be believable.
It doesn't help that one of the big themes is the responsibilities of unexpected power, something to which the past four years have repeatedly shown leaders failing to rise, at far smaller cost to themselves than their countries. There are obvious attempts at offering a topical lens here, with intolerance in high places empowering violence on the streets and the re-emergence of attitudes that had been skulking in the shadows. But like they all do nowadays, this alternate world flounders as a warning by looking so much better than our 2020. Yes, the Troubles lasted decades longer there, prolonged by a malign superhuman - but at least they have finally settled down, whereas here they're in the process of being restarted by malign imbeciles. Riots on British streets? OK, not this year, but by March 2021 the No Deal food shortages should do it. The epilogue, where Turing meets a young woman called Margaret and contemplates her "racing towards a future much more free than anything his queen had known", is almost physically painful read in a Britain the most constrained it has ever been - and that even aside from the fact she's en route to the National College of Cyber Security, or as we know it here, the ballerina reprocessing camp.
With libraries shut, there's apparently been some enormous increase in ebook loans since the Event, but this was my first. Partly that was because it felt a little like cheating on my vows regarding further book acquisition, especially when it's not like I don't have a huge ebook backlog as well as the physical one; partly it's just that browsing online library catalogues isn't half so much fun as wandering the shelves, and the selection tends to be a lot more mainstream. Still, I didn't want to let this be a year without a Wild Cards book as well as everything else, and I was curious to see where the series' British wing went after Knaves Over Queens. Surprisingly, it's a mosaic novel, something I thought Wild Cards generally only did as a third book rather than a second in a sub-series. More ominously, of the five writers (one also the co-editor, Melinda Snodgrass), only one is British and one Irish, the rest being Americans. Exceptions exist, obviously, but as a rule there's little that makes me sympathise with the Own Voices movement as much as Americans writing British, and this one is soon stumbling into a bunch of the most glaring pitfalls. Some of them are little matters of language; I can believe the bit where the heir to the throne comes out with a bunch of Morrissey talking points about minorities on camera, but referring to the kingdom as 'England'? I don't buy it. Or the monarch having sons called Henry and Richard. Seriously? I know we sort of have a Henry, but a) he's the spare and b) it's no accident he's never referred to as that. And Richard? Why not just have one called John while you're at it? This is particularly irksome given names, how they change and adapting to them, are otherwise one of the more interesting themes running through Three Kings. Still, like the reference to the poetry of 'Yates' these could be classed as minor glitches – even if equally, that means they would have been trivially easy to fix had a Brit read the book over before it was published. Others, though, are more structural, like how the entire central plot seems to have confused the slightly ridiculous contortions of a modern constitutional monarchy with the long-ago clusterfucks that inspired the Wild Cards founder's rather higher profile subsequent work, Game Of Thrones. Or maybe they saw The Windsors and didn't twig that it's a spoof? Yes, lip service is paid to the existence of things like Prime Ministers and Home Secretaries, but you still get stuff like the King appointing and firing heads of intelligence agencies on a whim - and before there's even been a coronation, at that! Granted it's an alternate universe, but one that diverged in 1946, not 1688. And yes, the whole point of a superhero universe is to heighten things, but especially when - as in Wild Cards - it's meant to be a faintly realistic one, it needs to work vaguely within the right outlines. The Democratic Convention in Ace In The Hole, say, was more eventful than its real-world counterparts, but still recognisable as a plausible extrapolation from them. Three Kings could have been something similar, To Play The King plus mutants. As is, it's pure fantasy without realising that, and thus prone to weightlessness. The leads are mostly interesting enough company; beyond the reluctance to bail on a long-running series, and the conveniently bite-sized sections ideal for time that would otherwise be spent on listless scrolling, that was the thing which kept me reading. But suspending disbelief in the action was a struggle. Well, except maybe for the most English assassination ever - that was just ridiculous enough to be believable.
It doesn't help that one of the big themes is the responsibilities of unexpected power, something to which the past four years have repeatedly shown leaders failing to rise, at far smaller cost to themselves than their countries. There are obvious attempts at offering a topical lens here, with intolerance in high places empowering violence on the streets and the re-emergence of attitudes that had been skulking in the shadows. But like they all do nowadays, this alternate world flounders as a warning by looking so much better than our 2020. Yes, the Troubles lasted decades longer there, prolonged by a malign superhuman - but at least they have finally settled down, whereas here they're in the process of being restarted by malign imbeciles. Riots on British streets? OK, not this year, but by March 2021 the No Deal food shortages should do it. The epilogue, where Turing meets a young woman called Margaret and contemplates her "racing towards a future much more free than anything his queen had known", is almost physically painful read in a Britain the most constrained it has ever been - and that even aside from the fact she's en route to the National College of Cyber Security, or as we know it here, the ballerina reprocessing camp.
February 22, 2021
A nice departure from the goings-on of Ace and Jokerdom of NYC, this London-based tale is full of simmering tensions, and political intrigue and manipulation relating to a previous Royal throne cover-up. Nicely paced, with some very good action scenes, this story allows some of characters from Knaves Over Queens to stretch their legs a bit more in this singular narrative, unlike the previous Brit-based book of one-offs.
Personally, I could so without some of the For Queen and Country bullshit which runs through it, but it makes sense for some of the governmental and nationalist characters, and therefore this isn't a slight on the book, but more of my volatile intolerance of the Royal Family.
In summary, if you like super-powered espionage and a brewing class-war, I highly recommend this book!
Personally, I could so without some of the For Queen and Country bullshit which runs through it, but it makes sense for some of the governmental and nationalist characters, and therefore this isn't a slight on the book, but more of my volatile intolerance of the Royal Family.
In summary, if you like super-powered espionage and a brewing class-war, I highly recommend this book!
Read
November 21, 2024I DNF’d at 16 pages in. Very lost and confused. I know this is book 28 but I made sure it was ok to start here and not have to backtrack to book 1. Definitely DO NOT start here.
July 29, 2020
Badb, the banshee and Celtic war goddess, moves to London and takes advantage of the death of Queen Margaret to foment the violent unrest on which she feeds. Using misinformation and careful mismanagement of state secrets, she orchestrates a royal murder, a succession crisis, and a surge in hate crimes against jokers and immigrants that threatens to spur a rise in domestic terrorism.
There are five Martin-style POV characters in Three Kings :
Badb--Chased out of Ireland, she is drawn to London by the death of the Queen and the incipient coronation of her proudly bigoted son. It reeks of opportunity.
Green Man, the joker advocate/terrorist who leads the Twisted Fists--He maintains a tenuous hold on the angry Fists while searching for the lost son of Queen Elizabeth, reportedly exiled in secret at birth for being a joker.
Alan Turing, the ageless metallic ace--Turing is tasked by Queen Margaret on her deathbed to find the lost joker prince, but he also flirts with installing his lover, King Henry's brother Richard, on the throne.
Noel, the triple aspected teleporting assassin--Wrestling with fatherhood and respectability, Noel is drawn reluctantly into the game when joker- and immigrant-hating Henry extorts his help in finding and killing the lost joker prince.
Constance, the Seamstress, maker of indestructible clothing--She's blackmailed by the Lion and Turing into creating an ace wardrobe for hated prince Henry. Due to her connections to Noel, Turing, Green Man, and MI7, she finds herself repeatedly sucked into bloody events when all she wants to do is make clothing with her beloved assistant Bobbin.
-------------------------------------------------
It's exciting, in Wild Cards fashion. There are politics, powers fights, and intrigues galore. Noel and Green Man in particular are complex, fascinating characters.
Turing...doesn't ring true. He's described ad nauseum as a human computer, an unparalleled calculator, data miner, and strategizer, but the book doesn't come close to selling it. He's just a plodding doofus like every other character. A puzzling weak point in the writing.
Miller et al use Henry and public sentiment to comment heavily on real world right wing ascension, seeming to model the rise of the vocally bigoted heir apparent on the 2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump (and possibly on that of his British counterpart Bojo). Prince Henry advocates for "Britain First," for removing jokers to a colony on the moon, for ejecting immigrants, and for making everyone speak English. His speeches drive a rise in hate crime, and when confronted he shrugs off responsibility with a straight face. "I'd like to bring England back to being England again. That means Anglo-Saxon; make of that what you will. If we lose sight of who we are, we'll be done for."
The complicity of news media does not escape notice: "Even supposedly sensible news outlets like the BBC had fallen prey to the ridiculous idea of always presenting both sides of an argument, no matter how nonsensical or irrelevant the counterargument might be."
There are five Martin-style POV characters in Three Kings :
Badb--Chased out of Ireland, she is drawn to London by the death of the Queen and the incipient coronation of her proudly bigoted son. It reeks of opportunity.
Green Man, the joker advocate/terrorist who leads the Twisted Fists--He maintains a tenuous hold on the angry Fists while searching for the lost son of Queen Elizabeth, reportedly exiled in secret at birth for being a joker.
Alan Turing, the ageless metallic ace--Turing is tasked by Queen Margaret on her deathbed to find the lost joker prince, but he also flirts with installing his lover, King Henry's brother Richard, on the throne.
Noel, the triple aspected teleporting assassin--Wrestling with fatherhood and respectability, Noel is drawn reluctantly into the game when joker- and immigrant-hating Henry extorts his help in finding and killing the lost joker prince.
Constance, the Seamstress, maker of indestructible clothing--She's blackmailed by the Lion and Turing into creating an ace wardrobe for hated prince Henry. Due to her connections to Noel, Turing, Green Man, and MI7, she finds herself repeatedly sucked into bloody events when all she wants to do is make clothing with her beloved assistant Bobbin.
-------------------------------------------------
It's exciting, in Wild Cards fashion. There are politics, powers fights, and intrigues galore. Noel and Green Man in particular are complex, fascinating characters.
Turing...doesn't ring true. He's described ad nauseum as a human computer, an unparalleled calculator, data miner, and strategizer, but the book doesn't come close to selling it. He's just a plodding doofus like every other character. A puzzling weak point in the writing.
Miller et al use Henry and public sentiment to comment heavily on real world right wing ascension, seeming to model the rise of the vocally bigoted heir apparent on the 2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump (and possibly on that of his British counterpart Bojo). Prince Henry advocates for "Britain First," for removing jokers to a colony on the moon, for ejecting immigrants, and for making everyone speak English. His speeches drive a rise in hate crime, and when confronted he shrugs off responsibility with a straight face. "I'd like to bring England back to being England again. That means Anglo-Saxon; make of that what you will. If we lose sight of who we are, we'll be done for."
The complicity of news media does not escape notice: "Even supposedly sensible news outlets like the BBC had fallen prey to the ridiculous idea of always presenting both sides of an argument, no matter how nonsensical or irrelevant the counterargument might be."
December 27, 2023
I think you probably need to have read some of the other books in this series to understand properly what is going on - there was too much assumed knowledge for this to be enjoyable until about half way in. I don't think the "mosaic" writing team works, this ended up with a convoluted piecemeal plot which built up to a pretty stupid ending.
July 14, 2022
When I was thirteen years old, I purchased and read (and reread) the first volume of this shared universe and alternate history fantasy series. Now, thirty-five years later, I just finished the 28th volume, Three Kings, and I am just as enraptured by the storytelling by Wildcards many talented writers as I was back then. In fact, this volume (the second in the proposed British Triad) may just be one of may all time favorites.
The premise of Wildcards is that in 1946 and alien virus from the planet Takis, was released over New York City. 90 percent of the victims die almost instantly upon infection in lurid and gruesome ways. The majority of survivors and twisted physically and are designated Jokers. Occasionally, these Jokers gain useful abilities and are called Knaves. The lucky one percent are gifted with amazing superpowers and are designated Aces. In the previous volume, Knaves over Queens, the history of Britain during and after the first outbreak was detailed and we are introduced (or re-introduced) to many of the characters that become power players in this volume. Personally, I enjoyed this volume better, as it had a more direct and cohesive plot, with all of the characters contributing to the events that occur.
In Wildcards reality, Elizabeth died, leaving Margaret to take the throne. In this world Margaret bears two princes, Henry (a proponent of Britain First and an outright bigot) and the younger prince Richard (a closeted homosexual and husband to Diana). When Margaret dies, Henry ascends to the throne, but immediately threatens the cohesion of the British population with his hateful rhetoric. Jokers are being systematically attacked by the deplorables in British far right society. Richard challenges his brother's rhetoric and begins scheming for power. The third would-be-king comes into the picture when rumor gets out that Elizabeth had given birth to a Joker prince who was whisked away in secret and may still be alive. It is against this royal conflict and the threat of mass riots that our main players most contend.
The main characters are a Knave historical figure, Alan Turing (known as 'Enigma'), now one hundred and eight years old and serving the royal family, The Seamstress, an Ace who has been providing protective clothing to the royal family for decades, Double Helix, a teleporting gender-swapper who has previously betrayed his colleagues in MI7 (or Silver Helix), and The Green Man, a reluctant anti-hero who has been leading the Joker activist group, The Twisted Fists, for decades. Finally, one of the main antagonists is a monstrous woman from Ireland named Babh.
Three Kings winds through the shadowy conflict with plenty of twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages until you arrive at the satisfying conclusion. The protagonists are deeply flawed individuals who are doing their best and sometimes worst because of life circumstances that have forced them into service for one side or another. Although all of this conflict arising from dispute over a ceremonial throne may seem ludicrous, the book effectively shows how dangerous rhetoric can be in a time when too many individuals in our own world are choosing to act out of hate and fear. I don't want to give anything else away, so I will end with this: if you enjoy intrigue, well-developed and flawed characters, superhuman battles and well orchestrated plot twists, then you should enjoy this recent addition to this remarkable series.
The premise of Wildcards is that in 1946 and alien virus from the planet Takis, was released over New York City. 90 percent of the victims die almost instantly upon infection in lurid and gruesome ways. The majority of survivors and twisted physically and are designated Jokers. Occasionally, these Jokers gain useful abilities and are called Knaves. The lucky one percent are gifted with amazing superpowers and are designated Aces. In the previous volume, Knaves over Queens, the history of Britain during and after the first outbreak was detailed and we are introduced (or re-introduced) to many of the characters that become power players in this volume. Personally, I enjoyed this volume better, as it had a more direct and cohesive plot, with all of the characters contributing to the events that occur.
In Wildcards reality, Elizabeth died, leaving Margaret to take the throne. In this world Margaret bears two princes, Henry (a proponent of Britain First and an outright bigot) and the younger prince Richard (a closeted homosexual and husband to Diana). When Margaret dies, Henry ascends to the throne, but immediately threatens the cohesion of the British population with his hateful rhetoric. Jokers are being systematically attacked by the deplorables in British far right society. Richard challenges his brother's rhetoric and begins scheming for power. The third would-be-king comes into the picture when rumor gets out that Elizabeth had given birth to a Joker prince who was whisked away in secret and may still be alive. It is against this royal conflict and the threat of mass riots that our main players most contend.
The main characters are a Knave historical figure, Alan Turing (known as 'Enigma'), now one hundred and eight years old and serving the royal family, The Seamstress, an Ace who has been providing protective clothing to the royal family for decades, Double Helix, a teleporting gender-swapper who has previously betrayed his colleagues in MI7 (or Silver Helix), and The Green Man, a reluctant anti-hero who has been leading the Joker activist group, The Twisted Fists, for decades. Finally, one of the main antagonists is a monstrous woman from Ireland named Babh.
Three Kings winds through the shadowy conflict with plenty of twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages until you arrive at the satisfying conclusion. The protagonists are deeply flawed individuals who are doing their best and sometimes worst because of life circumstances that have forced them into service for one side or another. Although all of this conflict arising from dispute over a ceremonial throne may seem ludicrous, the book effectively shows how dangerous rhetoric can be in a time when too many individuals in our own world are choosing to act out of hate and fear. I don't want to give anything else away, so I will end with this: if you enjoy intrigue, well-developed and flawed characters, superhuman battles and well orchestrated plot twists, then you should enjoy this recent addition to this remarkable series.
April 17, 2024
I've been reading the Wild Cards series off and on for 20+ years. I've read all of them, except for the 90s run that's now out of print.
Three Kings picks up where Knaves Over Queens left off. Technically, Three Kings is the end of a three-novel plot arc that started in Knaves and continued in Joker Moon. Joker Moon didn't contribute much to the arc- there are a handful of references to its plot in Three Kings, but you won't lose much if you skip it.
I read Knaves Over Queens in 2020. I don't remember it very well.
Three Kings provides very little in backstory and character introductions. The reader is expected to know the plot and characters already. If you're new to the Wild Cards series, Three Kings is not a good place to start. Go back and read Knaves Over Queens first.
I slogged through the first fifty pages of Three Kings. I very nearly quit. I just didn't remember enough from Knaves. But after those fifty...
Three Kings shines. Queen Margaret dies at the start of the novel . The royal children fight for the throne. Someone, though, seems to be pitting the sides against each other.
Who is it, and why are they doing it? Read the book.
Who gets the throne? Read the book.
I think Three Kings would be an awesome read for anyone who knows the events of Knaves Over Queens. Ideally, you should read Knaves and then Kings back to back.
Three Kings picks up where Knaves Over Queens left off. Technically, Three Kings is the end of a three-novel plot arc that started in Knaves and continued in Joker Moon. Joker Moon didn't contribute much to the arc- there are a handful of references to its plot in Three Kings, but you won't lose much if you skip it.
I read Knaves Over Queens in 2020. I don't remember it very well.
Three Kings provides very little in backstory and character introductions. The reader is expected to know the plot and characters already. If you're new to the Wild Cards series, Three Kings is not a good place to start. Go back and read Knaves Over Queens first.
I slogged through the first fifty pages of Three Kings. I very nearly quit. I just didn't remember enough from Knaves. But after those fifty...
Three Kings shines. Queen Margaret dies at the start of the novel . The royal children fight for the throne. Someone, though, seems to be pitting the sides against each other.
Who is it, and why are they doing it? Read the book.
Who gets the throne? Read the book.
I think Three Kings would be an awesome read for anyone who knows the events of Knaves Over Queens. Ideally, you should read Knaves and then Kings back to back.
September 27, 2022
Three Kings (Wild Cards, #28)
by George R.R. Martin, Peter Newman, Melinda M. Snodgrass, Peadar O. Guillin, Caroline Spector, Mary Anne Mohanraj, John Jos. Miller, Kevin Andrew Murphy, Carrie Vaughn, Marko Kloos, Emma Newman,
an amazing mosaic novel of great adventure and captured super-heroic powers. As a mosaic novel with various authors its the characters I will remark on, not only their unique powers but the precedence they bring to the world of wild cards. Roger (green man ) Barnes, is a remarkable new creation by author Peter Newman, is as wonderful in his character arch as his phenomenal power. I bow to the well known Wild card Noel, with so much of his real story detailed in this story. Ever remarkable Anya (Badb) McNulty is the spider of orchestration of the events of the book, not only bringing the desperate constitutes together but allowing heroic sacrifice, and retribution to happen with in the story. Constance (seamstress) Russell by Caroline Spector is the heart of the story, her tender advice, protection and providence. With out Alan (enimga) Turning Mary anne Mohanraj would not have had the history to give depth to the story.
I love the pull of three kings, showing the various nature of humans. The selfish, and the diabolical, to the miss construed Chads of the world. George R R Martin knows how to make the well known dream of kings in Arthur (Bobbin) Hugesson and his story of his rise to the throne of England.
December 3, 2025
The series returns to the UK for the second full-length book - in this case, a full mosaic novel, rather than an anthology. Many of the characters from Knaves Over Queens return in a story about political skullduggery as rumours of a hidden Joker heir to the throne surface following the death of Queen Margaret (that is, Princess Margaret in our universe). The novel, to my mind, overestimates the influence of the royal family and the hold it has over the public psyche... although, I suppose, since it is an alternate reality, one could argue things are just different there. But for me, the fact that the King openly takes sides in a contentious political debate and that the existence of a Prime Minister gets no more than a sentence or two of acknowledgement does grate a little.
Having said that, this is otherwise a strong story. The main villain is effective, and there are a lot of divided loyalties and complexities that make use of the mosaic novel format - multiple viewpoint characters, written by different authors but otherwise a single narrative. The action scenes are suitably dramatic, offset by emotional beats. There's LGBT content (which, as always, may be a plus or a minus for some readers) and an array of worthwhile supporting characters. You do need to have read Knaves Over Queens to follow much of it, and the first half is arguably a bit slow, but once it gets going, things really ramp up.
Having said that, this is otherwise a strong story. The main villain is effective, and there are a lot of divided loyalties and complexities that make use of the mosaic novel format - multiple viewpoint characters, written by different authors but otherwise a single narrative. The action scenes are suitably dramatic, offset by emotional beats. There's LGBT content (which, as always, may be a plus or a minus for some readers) and an array of worthwhile supporting characters. You do need to have read Knaves Over Queens to follow much of it, and the first half is arguably a bit slow, but once it gets going, things really ramp up.
November 17, 2021
This installment of the Britain trilogy hearkens back in style to some of the earlier books in the series. Instead of linked short stories and novellas this is one novel where the group of writers trade off and the POV switches. Points to the editors for maintaining the consistency and managing the transitions in this book.
In this AU Elizabeth never took the crown, she died and Margaret had a long reign as a beloved monarch. On her deathbed Margaret confesses there is an unknown child of Elizabeth's a joker hidden from the world (jokers being those who survived the virus but were hideously deformed).
Multiple plots begin to swirl, as characters from the first part of the Britain trilogy return, in conjunction with some new. There is almost a Man in the Iron Mask Feel to things as Margaret's two sons fight it out for the crown with one backstabbing scheme after another, while everyone who knows of the hidden son are searching for him to either put him on the throne or to kill him.
Personally, I think the writers did a good job of showing some of the class divisions that exist in Britain, that have unfortunately made their way to the U.S., including the intolerance of the other.
In this AU Elizabeth never took the crown, she died and Margaret had a long reign as a beloved monarch. On her deathbed Margaret confesses there is an unknown child of Elizabeth's a joker hidden from the world (jokers being those who survived the virus but were hideously deformed).
Multiple plots begin to swirl, as characters from the first part of the Britain trilogy return, in conjunction with some new. There is almost a Man in the Iron Mask Feel to things as Margaret's two sons fight it out for the crown with one backstabbing scheme after another, while everyone who knows of the hidden son are searching for him to either put him on the throne or to kill him.
Personally, I think the writers did a good job of showing some of the class divisions that exist in Britain, that have unfortunately made their way to the U.S., including the intolerance of the other.
December 29, 2022
This is the newest book in the Wild Card series. I haven't read any other books in the series before this book so I walked into the storyline without the overall background.
The story does fit into our 2022 current events, with the story starting with the death of the Queen of England, but being this is the fantasy version, the queen was Margaret, who in real life, was never the queen. She, Margaret, became queen when Elizabeth died in childbirth in the 1940s when she was queen. In a way, this tale does deal with bias and prejudice but the prejudice is aimed at those who were affected by a mysterious virus that changed their physiology in many ways. It was rumored that Elizabeth's child was born affected and his physiology is what killed her during the birth.
Of course, in this story, just like in our reality in 2022, a new person takes over the monarchy. But Margaret, on her death bed requested her top advisor to find Elizabeth's son, to take over the throne over her 2 sons because of their ineptness to be good responsible leaders.
The bulk of the story involves the tracking down of this son and getting him placed on the throne.
The story does fit into our 2022 current events, with the story starting with the death of the Queen of England, but being this is the fantasy version, the queen was Margaret, who in real life, was never the queen. She, Margaret, became queen when Elizabeth died in childbirth in the 1940s when she was queen. In a way, this tale does deal with bias and prejudice but the prejudice is aimed at those who were affected by a mysterious virus that changed their physiology in many ways. It was rumored that Elizabeth's child was born affected and his physiology is what killed her during the birth.
Of course, in this story, just like in our reality in 2022, a new person takes over the monarchy. But Margaret, on her death bed requested her top advisor to find Elizabeth's son, to take over the throne over her 2 sons because of their ineptness to be good responsible leaders.
The bulk of the story involves the tracking down of this son and getting him placed on the throne.
August 27, 2025
As with "Knaves Over Queens", I found it hard to really connect with any of the characters in this book, but what REALLY cost it, in my estimation, was the totally abrupt and implausible ending. It didn't just strain credulity, or make it difficult to suspend disbelief; it was utterly and childishly impossible. There's a peaceful protest that's gone sideways, there's blood and death everywhere, rioting and panic in the streets (literally) and the "rightful king" kills the giant, super-powered villain who virtually nobody knew was behind much of the bloodshed, and suddenly everything is solved and he's the acknowledged king? The would-be king steps down or is forced to step down, just like that? SERIOUSLY? We missed another whole book's worth of maneuvering and conflict without so much as a word of explanation. How the EFF does the climactic moment in the riot lead to the epilogue? How does it even bring the riot to an end? How does it get virtually ANYBODY who wasn't already inclined to accept "the rightful king" as such to do so? This is a childishly pathetic ending to what was only a barely-acceptable story to start with.
January 25, 2023
I've been reading Wild Cards from the start, and it boggles me that the books are still as good as they are - I think that's likely because they're allowed to reinvent themselves periodically. As much as I miss Jokertown, taking the story to a new part of the world and new characters does help keep it from getting stale, or drawn into baroque and overpowered plots (anyone remember the Jumpers?).
This book was an odd one for me - I'm not particularly emotionally invested in any of the characters, which usually makes it hard for me to enjoy a story. But the plot was engaging enough that I couldn't help but get engaged, and keep reading, to find out how it all ended.
Bonus points for main characters who are all 40+ years old; thank you, writers, for remembering that not all readers are under 25.
3.5 stars, rounded down because I still mind that none of the characters are particularly emotionally engaging.
This book was an odd one for me - I'm not particularly emotionally invested in any of the characters, which usually makes it hard for me to enjoy a story. But the plot was engaging enough that I couldn't help but get engaged, and keep reading, to find out how it all ended.
Bonus points for main characters who are all 40+ years old; thank you, writers, for remembering that not all readers are under 25.
3.5 stars, rounded down because I still mind that none of the characters are particularly emotionally engaging.
January 25, 2021
I always describe Wild Cards books as cross between 'Game of Thrones' and superheroes. This one is even more so than most as we have three potential kings trying to become the King of England. The story is told from five points of view (one of the reasons I love Wild Cards books), none of whom are one of the potential kings.
There is espionage, secret agents, action, mystery, violence and historical figures not quite how our history describes them.
There is espionage, secret agents, action, mystery, violence and historical figures not quite how our history describes them.
October 26, 2021
This is only my 2nd book in the wild card universe... probably a poor choice on my part jumping in to book #28. I initially regretted having started this one, I really felt that there were character intreractions and plot references that passed me by but pushed through anyway. It picked up towards the end with the characters starting to feel more familiar and realistic.
February 10, 2024
Wild Cards has been one of my all time favourite series for a long, long time.
This is another excellent addition to the Wild Cards universe.
The second book set in Britain, with a diverse collection of interesting new aces and jokers.
As always, there are some incisive observations about hate, prejudice and bigotry.
This is another excellent addition to the Wild Cards universe.
The second book set in Britain, with a diverse collection of interesting new aces and jokers.
As always, there are some incisive observations about hate, prejudice and bigotry.
February 2, 2021
Only after finishing the book did I realize that there is a whole wild cards universe with a whole host of other books. Despite this I found the book easy to read,understandable and very enjoyable. I think the book touched on very relevant social issues in an accessible and thought provoking way.
May 25, 2022
A great end to the British Trilogy. The perfect follow up to knaves over queens and a good read for any fans of wild cards.
October 14, 2022
A look at a (slightly) different Britain
The UK under Wild Card rules, interesting to read slightly after the change of monarch in this reality. Well put together, and a good read
The UK under Wild Card rules, interesting to read slightly after the change of monarch in this reality. Well put together, and a good read
November 8, 2022
What a clusterfuck. And I mean that in the best way. I really got a Guy Richie vibe of multiple parties all unknowingly either connected or pursuing the same objective.
July 5, 2024
Interesting but what did I just read at the same time. Wild lol
September 29, 2022
The 2nd book in the WILD CARDS British arc following KNAVES OVER QUEENS. Having set up the effects of the Wild Card virus in Great Britian and following that history from the 40's onward we now enter modern times.
In a strange bit of real-world meeting fantasy, the book's plot starts off with the queen of England dying, and Queen Elizabeth died just as I got to the end.
The characters from the last book: Alan Turing, Badb, The Green Man, Constance and long-time established character Noel Matthews are thrust into the fight to control the throne following the Queen's death with some very modern-day ideas coming to the front (Nationalism, targeting a minority [the jokers] as a scapegoat)
This was a much shorter book than KBQ and tells a single story split up among the writers and their POV characters, but it really works and I found it one of the most enjoyable WILD CARD books I've read since the series returned in 2008. There's plenty of twists, good personal moments and super-powered action that never resorts to pulling in the American characters. This is a British slice of the WILD CARDS pie and it's a lot of fun.
In a strange bit of real-world meeting fantasy, the book's plot starts off with the queen of England dying, and Queen Elizabeth died just as I got to the end.
The characters from the last book: Alan Turing, Badb, The Green Man, Constance and long-time established character Noel Matthews are thrust into the fight to control the throne following the Queen's death with some very modern-day ideas coming to the front (Nationalism, targeting a minority [the jokers] as a scapegoat)
This was a much shorter book than KBQ and tells a single story split up among the writers and their POV characters, but it really works and I found it one of the most enjoyable WILD CARD books I've read since the series returned in 2008. There's plenty of twists, good personal moments and super-powered action that never resorts to pulling in the American characters. This is a British slice of the WILD CARDS pie and it's a lot of fun.
February 12, 2021
I know how brilliant Martin is at storytelling, character development and worldbuilding yet this story still managed to catch me off guard. Atmospheric, tense and just altogether a great read. Even without prior knowledge of the Wild Cards Universe, I was swept away by this dark and thought provoking alternative history fantasy.
March 24, 2022
So great to see these new Brit characters that have won me over: Green Man, Badb, Constance and Turing. Very good and suspenseful book and makes me glad they are still making Wild Cards book when i read entries like this one.
May 18, 2021
A fun fueled romp through a Hollywoodwised version of the UK. Switch off nitpicking radar.
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